African American Woman Activist for Justice for South Africa's Children Comes Home to the U.S. in March 2005

(PRWEB) January 31, 2005

?Powerful in its message and arresting in its fervent plea to make sense of the senseless, this book is a clarion call to the God in all of us that we might wake up and stop the madness.? --LeVar Burton, actor, director, and children?s advocate

Claudia J. Ford?African American woman, globetrotting ex-patriot, midwife, activist, scholar, feminist, author, mother?has spent the past several years spreading global awareness of the horrors of infant rape in sub-Saharan Africa. She was inspired to do this by her adoption of an infant named Vyanna, who at five months old survived a brutal gang rape on the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa, where Ford has made her home for a number of years. Ford will be traveling to the United States in March 2005, and will be available for appearances, workshops, speaking engagements, and media interviews.

Ford?s life story thus far has been nothing less than extraordinary. Since graduating Barnard College in 1976, she has lived on nearly every continent on the world, honing her expertise on issues of international development while raising three sons on her own. Her sons are now grown men who continue to inform Ford?s scholarly work around notions of masculinity and power, particularly in the realm of childrearing. Ford?s work in this realm of late has crystallized around her experiences mothering Vyanna. Ford?s recently published memoir, Why Do I Scream at God for the Rape of Babies? (North Atlantic Books, December 2004, Trade Paperback, $ 9.95, ISBN: 1-55643-547-9) chronicles the first two years of Vyanna?s life, beginning with their first chance meeting in a Johannesburg hospital ward.

Claudia J. Ford and the organization she founded, The Princess Trust, are taking on infant rape itself, raising funds to provide support for survivors while studying the root causes of such an epidemic with an eye towards bringing it to an end. Her efforts have reached the attention of Oprah Winfrey, who hosted Ford on The Oprah Winfrey Show in July of 2004. With its frank and multi-faceted approach to this issue, along with 51 percent of its proceeds going to The Princess Trust, Why Do I Scream at God for the Rape of Babies? is an enormous part of those efforts.

For press materials, review copies, or to interview Claudia J. Ford, please contact Olivia Ford, Publicist, North Atlantic Books/Frog, Ltd., (510) 559-8277 ext. 18, oford@northatlanticbooks.com.

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Chocolate Kissed Kids Introduces Product Lines for Kids of Color: New African American Characters Make Their Debut

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) November 30, 2005

At a time when image and self-esteem are important, young children of color now have new images in the marketplace that reflect their uniqueness, thanks to a new line of products introduced by Chocolate Kissed Kids?.

Chocolate Kissed Kids has launched with gifts and home accessories featuring characters and images from four uniquely designed properties. Created specifically for African American children ages newborn to 12, the four lines are: Chocolate Kissed Princesses?, The Enchanted Land of Umber?, Hip-Hopper Nation? and Chocolate Kissed Dancers?. The products are available online through cafepress.com (http://www.cafepress.com/chockissedkids)

According to the company?s founder, its Chocolate Kissed Princesses are an alternative to the Disney? Princesses line.

?My daughter was always asking for princess products,? said Rhonda Martin, a mother of 5-year old boy/girl twins. ?I know that little girls love the idea of being a princess, but I couldn?t bring myself to buy items that, even in this day and age, featured not a single character that represented my daughter?s heritage or skin color. About two years ago I decided to make it my mission to provide my daughter and all little brown-skinned girls with their own princesses.?

With the names Ayanna, Nyah and Zakia, these beautiful royal sisters are featured on items like posters, pillows, light switch covers, journals, T-shirts and more. From the Princess idea grew the additional lines:

The Enchanted Land of Umber features male and female fairies, elves and pixies and is targeted to new and expecting moms and those with toddlers. These whimsical characters also offer the perfect solution for parents decorating a nursery for boy/girl twins or a space that babies and toddlers share.

The Hip-Hopper Nation line is for young boys but has a cool factor that can be enjoyed by pre-teens as well, and features three urban frogs with a hip-hop attitude.

The Chocolate Kissed Dancers encompass three different images: ?Ballerina Butterfly? for ages 3-9, and ?Beauty in Motion? and ?Jazzy!? for tweens and teens. Each line of dancers is available in four different ?shades of beauty? (Cream, Honey, Mocha and Rich).

Martin, whose public relations background includes work with the National Council of Negro Women, The Quaker Oats Company and McDonald?s, says that her immediate objective is to build awareness of Chocolate Kissed Kids and its images. She plans to license the characters to retailers and manufacturers, particularly focusing on party supplies, bedding and home d?cor, as well as publishing and media. Information on the company and characters can be found at http://www.chocolatekissedkids.com.

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African American Princesses Take on the Disney? Chicks

CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) August 17, 2006

Where are the African American princesses? It?s a question that mothers of little Black girls have been asking for years, and the debate is heating up again. From recent postings on message boards to yearlong email petitions, Black moms are calling out and calling on Disney? to include their daughters in the company?s princesses? line.

Articles have been written and studies conducted attesting to how the world of make believe, and the images a child sees in print and on screen, play a significant role in developing a positive self-image. Unfortunately, moviemakers have yet to produce an animated film with an African-American character in the lead. ?Instead of waiting for Disney and others to step up to the plate, or even expecting them to, we need to call on the talent in our own community,? stated Rhonda Martin, a freelance writer and mother of twins. ?I asked the princess question six years ago when my kids were celebrating their 1st birthday. I?d always noticed the occasional generic ethnic images in retail stores, but not until I became a mother looking for party decorations and room d?cor did I realize that not much existed, especially for young girls.? After many years of frustration, Martin decided to do something about it.

In 2005 she launched Chocolate Kissed Kids, with the help of some very talented artists. The company?s primary business is developing properties and media content for children of color. Ayanna, Nyah and Zakia are the company?s Chocolate Kissed Princesses. ?My initial desire was to develop one princess, but my dilemma was in deciding what complexion she should have. I have two sisters and together we?re three different shades of beauty, so I decided to offer three royal sisters with that same mix.? The additional properties include hip-hop frogs for young boys, chocolate kissed dancers (each available in four shades), and two fairy lines --- one targeted to ?tweens and teens and the other specifically created for newborns, toddlers and twins. Martin is particularly pleased with the uniqueness of the company?s dreadlocked Lotus Fairy. Her goal is to make sure every property under the Chocolate Kissed Kids brand have unique ethnic features, not simply dark-skinned versions of what?s already on the market.

Chocolate Kissed Kids products can be found online through Cafepress.com, a print-on-demand company that offers apparel, room d?cor items including pillows and posters, and gift items. The company?s online presence through CafePress is the first step in getting national exposure for Chocolate Kissed Kids and its characters. Martin hopes to land licensing deals with major companies and manufacturers. ?I want our kids to walk into places like Target, Toys R Us, bedding retailers and party stores and see products and designs that reflect their image and culture.? Information about the company and a link to its online store can be found at chocolatekissedkids.com.

Chocolate Kissed Kids(tm) was founded in 2005 and is based in the Chicago area. Its primary business is developing properties and media content for children of color. The company's goal is to be the leading provider of African American characters and lifestyle brands that recognize a need and fill the void that currently exists in the marketplace. Company lines include: Chocolate Kissed Princesses, Adinkra Fairies, Hip-Hopper Nation, Enchanted Land of Umber and Chocolate Kissed Dancers

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Phillip West M.D. Named a Diplomate by the American Board of Phlebology

Santa Barbara, CA (PRWEB) October 28, 2011

The Santa Barbara Vein Center is pleased to announce that Phillip N. West M.D., Medical Director, has just been named a Diplomate by the American Board of Phlebology.

The Board was established in 2007 to certify physicians who have met a high standard of education, training and knowledge in the treatment of venous disorders and all aspects of venous disease. Dr. West is one of only 520 physicians across the country, and the only physician in Santa Barbara County, to be Board Certified in Phlebology. Less than 1% of all physicians treating venous disease in the U.S. and Canada have earned certification from the American Board of Phlebology.

The Santa Barbara Vein Center is dedicated to the highest standard of care for individuals with vein disease. State of the art care is available for the full spectrum of vein disorders from annoying spider veins that are cosmetically unacceptable, to chronic venous insufficiency requiring lifelong attention to prevent complications.

For more info, please visit our website.

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Healthy Beef Cookbook Unveiled To American Dieticians

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) October 25, 2005

?Healthy? and ?Beef? are two words that go together well, and a new cookbook has 130 new ways to combine them to deliver great-tasting, health-promoting, lean beef dishes to the dinner table. ?The Healthy Beef Cookbook,? made its debut at the American Dietetic Association annual Food and Nutrition Conference being held this week in St. Louis, MO.

According to Alane Lidolph, director of consumer information for the Missouri Beef Industry Council (MBIC), the cookbook was developed as a joint effort between the American Dietetic Association and the National Cattlemen?s Beef Association, on behalf of the Cattlemen?s Beef Board. ?And this cookbook contains 130 recipes that really apply directly to USDA guidelines, MyPyramid. So it has great nutrition information and also some culinary tips for consumers and health professionals to use.?

Lidolph says the cookbook provides information about the health benefits of lean beef, especially when combined in recipes with other food groups such as fruits and vegetables and whole grains. ?In fact, 66 percent of the recipes in ?The Healthy Beef Cookbook? are excellent sources of fiber and since beef itself is not a natural source of fiber that really exemplifies how the cookbook implements other food groups to make a really complete meal.?

One example of a high-fiber recipe in the cookbook is Steak with Ginger Plum Barbeque sauce, which combines marinated top round steak, carrots, pea pods and jasmine rice. The cookbook was just introduced, but Lidolph says it is already available for purchase. ?Definitely. You can purchase the cookbook at http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com or http://www.amazon.com and it will make a great holiday gift for friends and family.?

The book was written by a registered dietitian and the recipes were developed by a popular Dallas chef. Richard Chamberlain is the owner and head chef of Chamberlain's Steak and Chop House in Dallas, TX. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Dallas chapter of the American Heart Association. Betsy Hornick, MS, RD is an experienced writer, editor, and educator specializing in food, nutrition, and health-related topics who lives in Poplar Grove, IL. Missouri beef producers helped to fund development of the cookbook through their one dollar per head beef checkoff that pays for research and promotion efforts.

Recipe:

Steak with Ginger Plum Barbeque Sauce

Total preparation and cooking time: 35 minutes

Marinating time: 6 hours or overnight

1 beef top round steak, cut 3/4 inch

thick (about1 pound)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups thinly sliced carrots

3 cups fresh pea pods, strings removed

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and black pepper

3 cups hot cooked jasmine rice,

prepared without butter or salt

Chopped fresh cilantro

Marinade:

1/2 cup prepared plum sauce

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1. Combine marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place beef steak

and1/2 cup marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to

coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours

or as long as overnight, turning occasionally. Cover and reserve

remaining marinade in refrigerator.

2. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Place steak

on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered,

8 to 9 minutes for medium rare doneness, turning occasionally

and basting with some of the reserved marinade during last

2 to 3 minutes of grilling. Remove; keep warm.

3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until

hot. Add carrots; stir-fry 5 minutes. Add pea pods and garlic;

stir-fry 2 minutes.

4. Carve steak into thin slices. Season with salt and black pepper,

as desired. Place remaining marinade in small saucepan; heat

until warm. Serve with steak, vegetables and rice. Garnish with

cilantro, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 496 calories; 9g fat (2g saturated fat;

4g monounsaturated fat); 61mg cholesterol; 531mg sodium; 66g carbohydrate;

6.2g fiber; 36g protein; 8.4mg niacin; 0.8mg vitamin B6; 1.5mcg vitamin B12;

6.9mg iron; 43.0mcg selenium; 6.1mg zinc.

This recipe is an excellent source of fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6,

vitamin B12, iron, selenium and zinc.

About the Beef Checkoff Program

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $ 1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

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